It hasn’t quite felt like spring, and just like that Memorial Day is next week, so I think we might be skipping the season all together! While we were wait for the temperature to catch up with the seasons, I’ve got lots of cheery warm-weather entertaining inspiration, holiday weekend recipes, getaway packing tips, and new books to add to your summer reading list. Scroll down to read more!
New Recipes. Lots of new recipes on the blog this month, starting with a few side dishes that would be perfect for Memorial Day Weekend BBQs like a tasty zucchini and basil pasta salad, a crowd-favorite herb marinated antipasto salad, and really flavorful and textured chickpea and couscous summer salad. I made a very pretty berries and cream bundt cake for Mother’s Day brunch which looks like the perfect treat to recreate if you have guests staying over for the holiday weekend. A few new seasonal cocktails are in the mix too – try a Limoncello Mint Sparkler or a Grapefruit Ginger Fizz when you’re ready to kick back this weekend!
Warm-Weather Entertaining. I am so excited that my warm-weather entertaining content is rolling out because there is no better time to host some festivities! I shared a post about kicking off barbeque season, and a lush floral tablescape full of peonies that were leftover from Mother’s Day! I have another really fun nautical-themed tablescape coming soon too. I’ve had my eye on a few new pieces for summer soirees too. I love the rattan trend right now — like these rattan cups and this rattan drink bucket! I just added some really beautiful delicate coupes from H&M Home to my collection (I plan to use these for drinks OR desserts!), and a few new enamel butchers trays that are great for barbecues.
Reading List. Thanks to a few really good books I’ve read recently, I’ve hit my stride and have been flying through my reading list! I’m on a very serious White House-theme in my reading stack having finished Michelle Obama’s Becoming. I listened to most of this on audio book and I HIGHLY recommend it, it was wonderful to hear her voice tell the story; it was probably the best non-fiction book I’ve ever consumed. As I was listening to that, I also was reading From the Corner of the Oval, which follows the White House stenographer during President Obama’s term. It was nowhere near as eloquent, but gave a fun and gossip-y look at the behind the scenes of the White House machine.
I’m reading one more White House-themed book right now, George & Barbara Bush: A Great American Love Story. I’m about halfway through right now and really enjoying it – much of the book is told through letters and I’m amazed at President Bush’s romantic side from their early courtship years; it’s a fun read. On the fiction side, I gobbled up every page of the rock n’ roll story Daisy Jones & The Six – it’s a MUST read, perfect for the beach. All These Beautiful Strangers was another great one that I just finished with a suspenseful mystery surrounding privileged teens at an elite New England prep school; another good one to save for your beach bag!
Girls Weekend. I have the best weekend planned! A few of my girlfriends and I are headed to Chatham, MA on Cape Cod for a girls getaway. We have been talking about doing this for ages, and between kids and weddings and pets and jobs, it’s been a near-miracle we found a weekend to actually do it. I just started to throw a few things in my overnight bag and feel like I finally have a good handle on efficient packing – my travel cube set has been a game changer. I also just threw in my new Kristin Ess “compact” hair dryer. It’s the size of a travel hair dryer but feels as powerful as a real one – I’m so impressed with it! I can’t tell you how excited I am for our plans, which pretty much consist of eating, drinking, and major yoga-pants lounging – BLISS.
